Tubbenden Primary School

Inspection of Tubbenden Primary School Sandy Bury, Orpington, Kent BR6 9SD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that ‘knighthood’ core values underpin the work of the school. Pupils model keenly the school’s values, including respect, excellence and honesty. In assemblies, leaders award ‘knighthoods’ to pupils who have consistently demonstrated these qualities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. They have thought carefully about the design of the curriculum, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in mainstream and in the additionally resourced provision. Pupils are happy and safe. Leaders make sure that the school is purposeful and calm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to respect differences and to talk with maturity about what makes people different. They have plenty of opportunities to take on responsibility, including as prefects, peer mediators and play leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders organise a variety of clubs for pupils to attend. These include girls’ football, yoga and mindfulness. In addition, leaders organise educational visits for all pupils which are connected to their learning. For example, pupils in Year 2 visited St Paul’s Cathedral when learning about the Great Fire of London and in Year 5, pupils went to a local observatory to learn about the solar system.

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better?

Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the expectations of the national curriculum and that, in some cases, is very ambitious. In music, for example, specialist teachers deliver a well-thought-through curriculum. In a small number of subjects, leaders are working to refine their curriculum thinking further. Some parts of the curriculum are well thought through from early years onwards. For example, in Reception, children learn about ice when outside in winter. In the spring, they explore ice as it melts. Finally, in the summer term, they learn how ice can be used in smoothie drinks. However, the curriculum is not as coherently developed in all areas to build children’s knowledge and skills and prepare them for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Typically, teachers ensure that pupils build their knowledge and skills over time. Generally, teachers identify where pupils do not understand what they have been taught, and reteach key content where necessary. For example, in a physical education class, staff regularly checked and clarified pupils’ understanding so that pupils improved their throwing and catching skills quickly. However, in a few subjects, teaching does not identify as routinely when pupils cannot remember the knowledge that they have previously been taught.

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better?

Leaders have clear systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND in mainstream classes. Leaders provide staff with guidance, training and support to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND in 16 and 17 May 2023

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mainstream classes follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. They make sure that all pupils with SEND in mainstream and in the additionally resourced provision receive the support that they need. Where necessary, pupils in resourced provision follow an adapted curriculum tailored to their needs.

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Recently, leaders introduced a new reading curriculum. Staff are trained appropriately to deliver this curriculum. They support all pupils, including pupils in the additionally resourced provision, to improve their fluency and reading confidence over time. Teachers identify any pupils who need extra support with reading. Pupils who need it are helped to keep up with their peers.

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The personal development curriculum is wide-ranging and of a high quality. External visitors and charities regularly come into the school to speak to pupils. Leaders also ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to take part in extra-curricular activities, including music and residential journeys.

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Pupils are polite to each other in class and around the school. Typically, they are keen to work hard. Disruption to pupils’ learning is rare. When it happens, staff deal with it quickly.

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Those responsible for governance hold senior leaders to account for their actions. Staff are very appreciative of the leadership team. They commented that they value the training that they receive from the school. They said that leaders take their well- being seriously, too. This is because leaders do their best to reduce staff’s workload wherever possible.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are aware of the potential risks in the local area that pupils may face. Staff identify and report any concerns that they may see, however small. They provide rapid and effective support for pupils who may need it. Leaders work closely with external agencies and communicate regularly with them. They also organise a range of support in school for pupils who may need it. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and encouraged to look after their own mental health.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not systematically identified and sequenced the key knowledge and skills that children need to know throughout their time in the early years. This means that children do not develop equally secure knowledge and skills across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Leaders should ensure that children follow a well-sequenced curriculum from the beginning of the early years. They should ensure that this curriculum logically builds on children’s prior knowledge. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 Sometimes, teaching does not identify where pupils have not remembered what they have been taught. This means that some pupils do not embed key knowledge in their long-term memory, and they are unable to connect new knowledge to what they have learned previously. Leaders should make sure that teaching checks that pupils remember what they have been taught and identifies and addresses any gaps or misunderstanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has specially resourced provision for up to 31 pupils with SEND and caters for a variety of needs. Pupils in this provision also attend mainstream classes.  The school is part of the South Orpington Learning Alliance trust.  The school uses no alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, personal, social and health education, behaviour, early reading and pupils’ wider development. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, music, geography and physical education.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding. Inspectors looked at documentation related to safeguarding, including the school’s record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors met with representatives from the trust.  Inspectors considered the respective responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sylvia Kerambrum Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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